Item dispensing system

ABSTRACT

An item dispensing system having modular and distributed components that are suitable for use at a POS counter. Item dispensing units are placed beneath the counter and are electrically connected by a cable to a stand-alone retailer keypad and display which, in turn, is electrically connected by a cable to a stand-alone customer keypad and display. Thus, a customer using the customer keypad and display selects items to be purchased. A clerk uses the retailer keypad and display to accept payment for the items and authorizes the dispenser to dispense the items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of dispensing systems andmore particularly, to an improved item dispensing system.

State sponsored lotteries are a popular and accepted method ofgenerating revenue in place of, or in addition to, taxes. One form oflottery uses instant lottery tickets on which number combinations arepreprinted before distribution, thereby permitting the player toimmediately view the ticket and know whether he/she is a winner. Onesystem of distributing instant lottery tickets is entirely clerical withthe tickets being stored in a drawer and counted out by hand. The clerktypically is responsible for keeping track of the number of ticketssold, making redemption payments and providing such sales and payoutinformation to the State. The State then pays the store owner acommission or other monies due. Such a system has the disadvantages ofbeing completely manual and requiring clerical assistance for the entiretransaction. Further, the system has no significant security and issusceptible to shrinkage, that is, theft and accounting errors thatresult in lost revenue and tickets.

Another system for distributing instant lottery tickets is theindividual ticket vending machine, which is a stand alone, unattendedautomated ticket dispenser. The vending machine accepts the customer'scash or credit card payment and provides a selection of lottery ticketscorresponding to the payment. The customer then makes various ticketselections having a value equaling the payment. The vending machinemonitors the ticket selections and dispenses the lottery ticketsselected by the customer. Such a vending machine has the advantages ofnot requiring the attention of a clerk, being very secure, and providinga high level of reporting by keeping track of how often the machine isaccessed to be loaded and serviced, when and how much money iscollected, when and which tickets have been selected, etc. Further, thevending machine may be connected via an electronic communicationsnetwork to a central location which can monitor the activity of themachine. The vending machine may also include a printer for printingreports of machine activity. While the above vending machine has manyadvantages over the clerical method of distributing instant lotterytickets, it has several disadvantages. For example, the machine unit isan integrated unit and may be relatively large such that its physicalsize limits its placement at point-of-sale ("POS") locations. Such alarge unit is not suitable for location at counter check out lines.Further, such vending machines also generally have only a single levelof security; and hence, all accounting information collected by thevending machine is available to anyone who has security access to themachine.

Therefore, there is a need to provide a dispensing system that is moreconvenient to the retailer and the customer, preferably is more suitablefor a check out counter location and avoids the problems of shrinkageand theft while providing detailed accounting and reporting oftransactions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a more compact, flexible, simple,inexpensive and reliable item dispensing system. The present inventionprovides a distributed, scalable item dispensing system that isespecially suitable for point-of-sale check out counters. The dispensingsystem of the present invention has the advantage of providing an itemdispensing POS system that is especially useful for dispensing gamingtickets from a vending machine.

According to the principles of the present invention in accordance withone presently preferred embodiment, an item dispenser is adapt to beintegrated with a point-of-sale counter for dispensing items in responseto selections made by a customer. A customer unit is placed at a firstlocation with respect to the point-of-sale counter and has an inputdevice permitting a customer to select an item for purchase. An itemdispenser is in electrical communication with the customer unit and isplaced in a second location with respect to the point-of-sale counterdifferent from the first location. The item dispenser dispenses the itemin response to the customer selecting the item using the input device onthe customer unit. In one aspect of the invention, a retailer unit thatis in electrical communication with the customer unit and the itemdispenser functions with the customer unit to cause the item dispenserto dispense the item.

In another embodiment of the invention, a method of dispensing items ata point-of-sale counter comprises the steps of entering into a retailerunit a payment value for a purchase of items by a customer, the retailerunit being placed at a first location with respect to the point-of-salecounter. Next a payment value is transmitted from the retailer unit to acustomer unit in electrical communication with the retailer unit, thecustomer unit being placed at a second location with respect to thepoint-of-sale counter different from the first location. The paymentvalue is displayed by the customer unit, a selection of an item to bepurchased is entered into the customer unit using the payment value, andthen an item dispenser located with respect to the point-of-sale counterdispenses the item.

By placing the item dispensing system at a POS check out counter, items,for example, gaming tickets, are exposed to substantially more potentialcustomers than is possible with the current integrated automated ticketvending machines with the advantage that substantially increased gamesales can be expected.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more readily apparent during the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the drawings herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a counter having a ticketdispensing system in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the components of the ticketdispensing system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detailed schematic diagram of a retailer access module inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a detailed schematic diagram of a customer access module inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an item dispensing portion of theoperation of the retailer access module in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an item dispensing portion of theoperation of the customer access module in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an item dispensing portion of theoperation of the retailer access module in more detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a counter 20, for example, a point-of-sale retailcheckout counter, has a customer side 22 and a retailer or clerk side24. The counter 20 has an upper surface 26, which is normally a workingsurface on which items to be purchased are normally placed. In addition,point-of-sale displays and other items (not shown) are often placed onthe working surface 26. A clerk standing on the retailer side 24 of thecounter 20, scans or otherwise enters the items and their prices into aretailer point-of-sale terminal 33 and accepts the customer's paymentfor the goods by credit card or cash. In accordance with the presentinvention, an item dispensing system 29 is integrated into the counter20. In the example to follow, the item dispensing system will bedescribed as a gaming ticket dispensing system; however, as will beappreciated, the disclosed dispensing system may be used to dispensemany different items that can be compactly stored in bulk, for example,other types of tickets, phone cards, stamps, cards or any other itemscapable of being relatively compactly inventoried and automaticallydispensed.

A game display panel 30 is located on and normally removably attachedto, the upper surface 26. The panel 30 has a predetermined number, forexample, sixteen samples of game tickets 32, for example, instantlottery tickets displayed for view by the customer. The game ticketsamples 32 are normally presented in the panel 30 in an attractive, easyto read display (such as in arrayed locations 1 through 16 shown in FIG.1, as an example) so that the tickets catch the eye of the customer andclearly identify the game and its value.

If a customer desires to purchase game tickets, the customer pays theclerk with cash or credit card. The amount of the ticket purchase isentered by the clerk into the retailer terminal 33 and a retailer accessmodule ("RAM") or unit 38. The retailer unit 38 is a self contained,stand-alone unit located at a first location with respect to the POScounter 20, for example, in the proximity of the retailer side 24 of thecounter 20. The module 38 has an alphanumeric display 44 and an inputdevice 41, for example, a keypad, with assorted numeric keys 40 and aselection of function keys 42 to facilitate the transaction. Uponentering the amount of the transaction in the module 38, the retailermodule 38, in electrical communication with a customer access module("CAM") or unit 48, transmits the payment value, that is, an availablecredit amount, to the customer module 48. The customer module 48 is aself contained, stand-alone unit located at a second location withrespect to the POS counter 20 different from the first location. Thecustomer module 48 is normally located proximate the customer side 22 ofthe counter 20 in a position convenient to the customer. The module 48has an alphanumeric display 54 and an input device 49, for example, akeypad, with a number of numeric keys 50 corresponding to the number ofdisplayed games 32 and nonnumeric function keys 52. Each of the numerickeys has an LED 53 next to the key, and illumination of the LEDindicates that the game associated with that key may be played. Upon theavailable credit being displayed in display 54, utilizing the numerickeys 50, the customer selects the desired game tickets corresponding tothe displayed game tickets 32. As each selection is made, one or moreitems or tickets 51 are dispensed from item or ticket dispensers 58located at a third location with respect to the POS counter 20. Theticket dispensers 58 are normally located below the upper surface 26 ofthe counter 20 and oriented so that the tickets are dispensed toward theretailer side 24 of the counter 20. Thus, the dispensers 58 are normallylocated at a third location with respect to the counter 20 that isdifferent from the first and second locations. After the tickets aredispensed, the remaining customer credit, that is, the amount of thepurchase less the value of the item selected, is displayed in both thedisplay 44 of the retailer module 38 and the display 54 of the customermodule 48. Therefore, the customer can easily determine how many moretickets may be selected to equal the available credit. After all thetickets have been selected, the clerk then collects the dispensedtickets 51 from the dispensers 58 and gives the tickets 51 to thecustomer.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the ticket dispensing system 29illustrated in part in FIG. 1. Power is provided to the retailer andcustomer modules 38, 48, respectively, and the ticket dispensers 58 by apower supply 64. The power supply is designed to be connected to an ACpower outlet normally found in retail establishments. Power istransferred to, and data is transferred between, the various componentsof the dispensing system 29 by means of cables 66, each of the cables 66having eight conductors. The access modules 38, 48, ticket dispensers 58as well as other components, for example, a serial POS printer 70, havepass through ports; and therefore, the cables may interconnect thecomponents in a daisy chain manner, thereby providing completemodularity and scalability. With such a daisy chain architecture, anynumber of ticket dispensers 58 from one to the design maximum number,for example, 16, may be connected to the dispensing system 29 using thecables 66.

The power supply 64 provides an output DC voltage, for example, +15 VDC,which is supplied on two conductors of the eight conductor cables 66.One of the +15 VDC conductors is combined with a ground to form a firsttwisted pair. One conductor provides a serial data line and is combinedwith a ground to form a second twisted pair. Another conductor providesa serial clock line and is in a third twisted pair with a ground. Theeighth wire is used to provide a signal from the dispensers 58 to theretail module 38 and is in a fourth twisted pair with the other +15 VDCline. For example, the dispensers 58 may provide a signal over theeighth wire indicating that a dispenser drawer or door is opened. Datais transferred across the cables 66 using a two wire "I² C-BUS" protocolfrom Phillips Semiconductors which is commercially available from ArrowElectronics of Centerville, Ohio. The "I² C-BUS" is a widely used,highly flexible and cost effective serial protocol that is often used inconsumer electronics equipment and has been used in point-of-saleterminals. Under the protocol, data is transferred in packets betweenthe retailer module 38 and customer module 48 and the dispensers 58.Data packet transfer occurs in response to commands and requestsinitiated by the retailer module 38.

Even though the retailer module 38, customer module 48 and dispensers 58all have self-contained microprocessors, the retailer module 38 is themaster control for the ticket dispensing system 29. The retailer module38 provides initialization to the customer module 48 upon power up andfurther, provides ticket prices, ticket inventory and purchase amount tothe customer module 48. Further, the retailer module 38 receivesinformation relating to which keys the customer has pushed and providesinstructions to the dispensers to dispense an appropriate number orselection of tickets.

Normally, the dispenser modules 58 include two separate storage andbursting mechanisms, that is, ticket dispensing mechanisms; andtherefore, the illustrated six dispensers 58 provide the capability ofdispensing tickets for twelve games. The ticket dispensers aresubstantially as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,337 and PCTApplication Ser. No. PCT/US97/0576, each of which is assigned to theassignee of the present invention, and the entirety of both applicationsis incorporated by reference herein.

Referring to FIG. 3, the retailer access module 38 has a power/data port72 connected to a cable 66, and RS-232 port 73 and an RS-485 port 76.The power conductors from the cable 66 are connected to a DC--DCconverter 78. The DC--DC converter 78 has a first function of steppingdown the +15 VDC to a lower level, for example, +5 VDC, with theappropriate regulation which is supplied to various components on powerline 79. The power supply 64 of FIG. 2 provides the higher +15 VDC levelacross the cables 66 to reduce the current flow within the cables 66.

The retailer module 38 further includes a microprocessor 74, forexample, Model No. 80C652 manufactured by Phillips Semiconductor andcommercially available from Arrow Electronics of Centerville, Ohio. Inaddition, the module 38 includes a realtime clock 76, read-only memory("ROM") 78, nonvolatile random access memory ("NOVRAM") 80, a universalasynchronous receiver/transmitter ("UART") 82, an RS-232 transceiver 83,an RS485 transceiver 85 and an audio indicator or speaker 84. Therealtime clock 76 provides data and time information that is associatedwith a history of ticket sales. Thus, the ticket sales can be analyzedin reports by shift, by day, by week, etc. The retailer module 38 iselectrically connected to the LCD display module 44 having two rows of16 characters of display. An uninterruptable power supply 75 has abattery backup 77 and provides a continuous source of power on line 81to the realtime clock 76 and the NOVRAM 80.

The retailer module 38 is also connected to the keypad 41 which includes5 rows of keys 40 (FIG. 1) four columns wide that operate as 16 numerickeys and 4 nonnumeric function keys 42. An address decoder and gluecircuit 86 receives input data on line 39 from the keypad 41 andprovides output data on line 43 to the LCD display 44. The decoder andglue circuit 86 is a collection of digital and analog logic andinterface circuitry that handles I/O functions to permit themicroprocessor 74 to respond to and operate the display 44, keypad 41and speaker 84. For example, the circuitry 86 decodes keystrokes fromthe keypad 41 into binary data that may be processed by themicrocontroller 74. Further, the decoder circuit 86 receives binary datarepresenting information to be displayed and converts that data tooutput signals that are appropriate for the LCD display 44. The decodercircuit 86 is also effective to provide audio output signals to theaudio indicator or speaker 84, as required. The circuit 86 may beimplemented using 7400 Series logic from Philips Semiconductor, Inc. Thecontroller 74, ROM 78, NOVRAM 80, address decoder 86 and UART 82 areinterconnected by address, data and control buses 87 in a known manner.In addition, the realtime clock 76 is also connected to the data andcontrol buses.

Referring to FIG. 4, the customer access module 48 has a pair ofpass-through power/data ports 90, 92 which are connected to the cables66. A DC--DC converter 94 functions identically to the converter 71 ofFIG. 3 and steps down the +15 VDC from the power supply 64 to +5 VDC.The +5 VDC is provided to the module components on power line 95. Thecustomer module 48 includes a microcontroller 96 identical to themicrocontroller 74 of the retailer module 38, ROM 98, RAM 100 and anaddress decoder and glue circuit 102. The microprocessor 96, ROM 98, RAM100 and decoder circuit 102 are interconnected by address, data andcontrol buses 97 in a known manner. The address decoder and glue circuit102 handles the I/O functions associated with providing outputs to andreceiving inputs from the display 54, keypad 49 and speaker 104. Forexample, the circuit 102 receives inputs on line 99 from a keypad 49containing a 5 row by 4 column matrix of keys that provides 16 game keys50 and 4 function keys 52. The decoder and glue circuitry 102 furtherprovides output signals on line 101 to drive LEDs 53 associated with thekeys on the keypad 49. In addition, the decoder and glue circuitryprovides data on line 103 to the LCD display module 54 which is a 2 lineby 16 character display. The decoder and glue circuitry 102 furtherprovides power on line 105 to drive the illumination for backlightingthe LCD display 54 and audio signals on line 107 to the audio indicatoror speaker 104.

The retailer module 38, customer module 48 and ticket dispensers 58 aredistributed in three different locations with respect to the counter 20;and the retailer module 38 and customer module 48 are being operated bydifferent persons at different times. However, it is necessary that theprocess of purchasing game tickets, selecting game tickets anddispensing game tickets be carried out in a coordinated manner, whichmeans under a central control. In the ticket dispensing system 29, theretailer module 38 is the master controller of the system. Since theretailer and customer modules 38, 48 are together performing most, ifnot all, of the same tasks that are currently being performed byintegrated standalone ticket dispensers, the normal operation of thesystem will be described to the extent that the nature of the operationsof the retailer and customer modules will be understood. It is notbelieved necessary to describe in detail every operation of the modules38, 48 for one of ordinary skill to understand the present invention.

In use, the first operation is to apply power to the system. Referringto FIGS. 3 and 5, when power is supplied to the ticket dispensing system29, the retailer access module 38 at 502 performs a self-initializationas well as providing data for initializing other components. Morespecifically, the microcontroller 74 initializes or provides defaultvalues for all of the boards and components within the retailer module38. Further, the microcontroller 74 establishes communication links overthe cables 66 to the ticket dispensers 58 and customer module 48; and inthe process, provides initialization and default values to those units.Utilizing the "I² C-BUS" serial data protocol, the microprocessor 74fabricates packets of data and transfers them to, and receives packetsof data from, the customer module 38 and the ticket dispensers 58. Thecomposition and transfer of the data packets is in accordance with the"I² C-BUS" protocol. Therefore, on a regular basis, the microprocessor74 is sending a data packet to the customer module 48 that eitherprovides information to, or requests status information from, thecustomer module 48. The initialization step 502 tests other componentsin the system, for example, the motors within the ticket dispensers 58.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, upon power being applied to the customermodule 48, the microcontroller 96 at 602 establishes default values andotherwise initializes serial ports 90, 92, the LCD display 54 and theLED's on the keypad 49. Then at 604, the processor 96 instructs theaddress decoder and glue circuitry 102 to transfer an opening displayframe to the LCD display module of 54. The opening message is normally atechnical identification of the module 48 and provides no game relatedinformation to the customer. The microprocessor 96 takes no furtheraction until it receives a command from the retailer module 38 asdetected at 606. The processor 96 then proceeds to process the commandat 608. The command from the retailer module 38 may be a part of aninitialization sequence, a status request, or information with respectto ticket pricing and inventory, etc. After the first command issuccessfully received from the retailer module 38 and the communicationlink has been successfully established, the system is considered to beonline and operational. At that point, the processor 96 commands thecircuitry 102 to provide another message to the display 54, for example,"Play the Lottery". The customer module 48 then simply idles awaitingfurther commands from the retailer module 38.

Referring back to FIG. 5, after the initialization is complete, theprocess at 504 awaits a login by a user. The retailer access module 38has three different levels of password security, and the differentlevels of security require particular or unique password configurations.In addition, the different levels of security provide different levelsof access to the ticket dispensing system, for example, a clerk normallyhas the lowest level of security and would be able to use the system tologin and logout, enter credit values, that is, customer purchasevalues, and print some reports. A manager or system supervisor normallyhas a higher level of security and correspondingly greater access to thesystem and, for example, may, in addition to the clerk's functions, beable to load and enter inventory and collect reports. The highest levelof security providing the greatest access to the ticket dispensingsystem is normally reserved for service agents who have the requirementand ability to run test routines and perform system diagnostics.

Assume for purposes of this example, that a retail clerk has logged intothe system at process step 504. The microprocessor 74 then at 506 checkswhether all of the dispensers are off line. If any one ticket dispenser58 continues to be online, then game ticket sales may continue. If nodispensers are online, then the microprocessor 74 moves to execute theout of service tasks at process step 508. All of the ticket dispensers58 may be offline because no tickets are loaded, the system isundergoing maintenance, a cable 66 is broken, etc. The principal out ofservice task of the processor 74 is to detect when the realtime clock 76rolls over to the next day, that is, past 12:00 a.m. When a new daystarts, several accounting tasks must be performed, for example, theaccounting data stored in the NOVRAM 80 must be shifted back one day.For example, the reports may be selected as being related to the currentdate, for example, yesterday's report, last weeks report, etc.Therefore, when the realtime clock rolls over to a new date, theaccounting data associated with today must be assigned to yesterday, andafter Saturday midnight, this week's data is now considered to be lastweek's data, etc. The microprocessor 74 continues to perform the out ofservice tasks at 508 until at least one dispenser 58 is brought online.

When the microprocessor 74 detects that at least one dispenser isonline, the processor then checks at 510 to determine whether thecurrent credit value is zero. In the zero credit state, the ticketdispensing system 29 is available to sell tickets, but there is nocurrent sales activity. This state is the normal idle state for thesystem. If the credit is determined to be zero, the microprocessor at512 then performs the zero credit tasks. Such tasks include checking forthe entry of a password, checking for the entry of a credit and, againchecking the realtime clock for a date rollover, If the processor 74detects that a credit has been entered, the process at 514 then moves toexecute the nonzero credit tasks at 516.

The major nonzero credit tasks are set forth in the flow chart of FIG.7. As previously described, the processor at 702 detects whether anotherpassword has been entered. If so, the processor 74 then executespassword tasks at 704. If not, the processor again tests at 706 whetherthe realtime clock has experienced a date roll over. If so, the dateroll over tasks as previously described are executed at 708. If therehas been no date roll over, the processor 74 determines at 710 whetherthere is any credit on the system, that is, whether the clerk hasentered into the retailer access module 38, a credit amount equal to apayment made by a customer to purchase tickets. If a credit value isdetected, the microprocessor 74 in the retailer module 38 then posts thecredit at 712. In posting the credit, the microprocessor 74 enters thecredit value in the NOVRAM 80 and causes the decoder and glue circuit 86to provide an output to the display module 44 to display the creditvalue to the retail clerk.

In addition, the microprocessor 74 prepares a data packet including thecredit value which is transferred over the cables 66. Referring to FIG.6, the customer module receives the data packet; and at 606, theprocessor 96 detects the presence of the credit value transferred by theretailer module 38. The processor 96 then instructs the circuitry 102 toprovide the credit value to the display 54. Upon viewing the creditamount in the display 54 of the customer module 48, the customer thenknows to begin the selection of game tickets, the total value of whichis to equal the displayed credit value. The customer module 48 detectsat 610 whether one of the numeric keys 50 or one of the function keys 52on the keypad 49 is being pressed by the customer. If a key actuation isdetected the processor 96 then at 612 checks whether a credit valueexists. If one of the game keys 50 is pressed, but the retailer module38 has not provided the customer module 48 with a credit amount, thekeystroke cannot be accepted. In this situation, the processor 96 at 614causes the address decoder and glue circuitry 102 to provide a signal tothe audio indicator 104 which, in turn, produces an audio warning toneor beep.

If a credit value exists, the processor 96 at 616 determines whether theretailer module has transmitted an inhibit command to the customermodule 48. If the retailer module 38 is processing a previous keystrokefrom the customer module 48; and the successful processing of thekeystroke depends on the operation of another device, for example, theticket dispenser 58, the system cannot accept any additional gameselections from the customer until the previous selection has beensuccessfully processed. Therefore, immediately upon receiving akeystroke from the customer module of 48, the retailer module 38transmits a data packet including an inhibit command back to thecustomer module of 48. When the retailer module 38 receives anacknowledgment from the ticket dispensers 58 indicating that a dispenseticket command has been received, the retailer module 38 then transmitsa cancel inhibit command to the customer module 48. The retailer module38 will subsequently check for a successful ticket dispensing operation.

Upon receipt of the cancel inhibit command, microprocessor 96 at 617then determines whether the pressed key is one of the function keys 52.If so, the processor 96 at 618 processes the function key. In thisexample, the processor 96 commands the circuitry 102 to provide amessage to the display instructing the customer to press a numeric gamekey, for example, "Select a Game". The process then loops through theprocess just described with respect to process steps 606-616; and if, at617, a function key is not detected, the processor 96 at 619 processesthe numeric key. That processing is basically to decode and identify theitem or game associated with the numeric key. Thereafter, the processor96 at 620 transfers a data packet including that game identification tothe retailer module 38 in response to the next status request receivedfrom its microprocessor 74. The processor 96 then updates the creditvalue for the customer module 48. In updating the credit value, theprocessor 96 subtracts the value of the selected game ticket from theoriginal purchase value; and instructs the circuit 102 to display theupdated credit in the display 54 for the customer. The customer module48 then at 622 returns to its idle mode in which it manages the displayframes. With a credit present and being displayed, the module 48 willnormally not change the state of the display.

Knowing that a credit exists, the retailer module 38 next expects toreceive a keystroke from the customer module 48 representing theidentity of a particular game selected by the customer. If at 714, theprocessor 74 detects the receipt of a game identification, it thenproceeds at 718 to process the game selection request. Under normalcircumstances the microprocessor 74 prepares and sends a data packetwith a dispense command to an appropriate one of the dispensers 58, andalso send an inhibit command data packet to the customer module 48. Ifthe ticket is available, the one of the dispensers 58 dispenses theticket which makes it available to the retail clerk for collection andpresentation to the customer. Any irregularity in the dispensingprocess, for example, a jam, is detected by the dispenser 58 and a statesignal representing that condition is transmitted over the cable 66 tothe retailer module 38. In addition, upon receiving the dispensecommand, the dispenser 58 sends an acknowledgment to the retailer unit38.

In some situations, the ticket dispenser may be empty and that zeroinventory condition is transmitted back to the microprocessor 74. Themicroprocessor 74 then prepares a data packet for the customer module 48that includes a game offline command indicating the zero inventorycondition. The game offline may also arise because the selecteddispenser 58 is down for maintenance or if there is a communicationproblem with the dispenser 58. Referring to FIG. 6, the microprocessor96 detects at 606 the receipt of the game offline command, and at 608,the command is processed. Upon receipt of the game offline command, themicroprocessor 96 within the customer module 48 turns OFF the LED nextto one of the keys 50 on the keypad 49 that is associated with the gamethat is offline. In addition, the microprocessor 96 causes the addressdecoder 102 to provide a message to the LCD display 54 that requests thecustomer to "Play Another Game". In addition, the microcontroller 96will set a state variable within the customer access module 48 that willprovide the same message to the customer for subsequent depressions ofthat same key. That state variable remains set until the microcontroller96 receives a command from the retailer module 38 canceling the gameoffline command.

Returning to process step 718 of FIG. 7, when the retailer module 38detects that the acknowledgment to the dispense command from the ticketdispenser 58, the processor 74 sends a release inhibit command to thecustomer module 48. The processor 74 then iterates through the nonzerocredit tasks loop and checks for a password at 702, a date rollover at706, and a credit on the system at 710. If the value of the gameselection by the customer did not utilize all of the available credit,the processor 74 calculates the remaining credit, that is, the originalcredit less the value of the dispensed game ticket. At 512, the updatedcredit value is entered in the NOVRAM 80. The process of game ticketselection by the customer and ticket dispensing continues until themicroprocessor 74 determines at 510 that the credit value is zero andthen returns to the process illustrated in FIG. 4. The processor 74 thenproceeds at 518 to poll the working dispensers 58 and record anydetected problems. The retailer and customer access modules 38, 48continuously iterate through the processes illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 foras long as power is applied to the system. When the customer module 48is idling at 622 of FIG. 6, the processor 96 normally causes the addressdecoder and glue circuitry 102 to transmit a message to the LCD displaymodule 54 requesting the customer to "select function or game." However,if the credit is zero, the processor 96 causes the display 54 to scrollthrough a number of default messages. The microprocessor 96 continuouslyiterates through the process steps 706-714 as long as power is appliedto the customer module of 48.

The above description assumed that the customer was selecting onlynumeric keys, however, the customer module 48 includes several functionkeys 52 which may be used in combination with the number keys to selectthe game tickets. For example, one of the function keys may be used toselect a predetermined number, for example, 5, tickets. After pressingthat function key, the customer is then prompted by the display 54 topress a numeric game key. Upon a game key being selected, the processor96 then creates five game identification data packets that are thenserially transmitted to the retailer module 38. Another function key maybe set up to choose different preselected number, for example, 10tickets. The third function key may be used to play all of the selectedgames. A fourth function key may also be utilized to randomly select theavailable games until the credit amount is satisfied. With each of theother function keys, after the function key is pressed, the customerthen selects a game key; and the processor 96 provides game identitydata packets that correspond to the function key that was selected.

To review a normal transaction, a customer at the check out counter 20,desiring to purchase game tickets, gives the cashier an amount of moneyequal to the purchase. The retail clerk then uses the keypad of 41 toenter the amount of the transaction, that is, the credit due thecustomer. The microcontroller 74 within the RAM 38 detects andidentifies the keys pressed by the retail clerk, posts the amount of thecredit in the NOVRAM 80, displays the credit value in the retailermodule display 44 and transfers the credit value to the customer moduleof 48. The processor 96 within the customer module 48 displays thecredit value.

If the microprocessor 74 of the retailer module 438 detects that any ofthe ticket dispensers are off-line or, that there is no inventory oftickets in some of the ticket dispensers, that information is stored inthe NOVRAM 80; and in addition, a game off-line command is transmittedover the cable 66 to the customer module 48. The processor 96 detects agame off-line command and sets a state variable with respect to thatgame. In addition, the processor 96 commands the address decoder andglue circuitry 104 to turn OFF an LED 53 next to a key 50 in the keypadof 49 associated with the off-line game. Thus, the customer knows thatthe game is unavailable and that the key is inactive.

When the credit amount is displayed by the LCD display 54 to thecustomer, the customer knows that online games represented by the activekeys may be selected. Upon pressing a key, the microcontroller 96transmits the game identity to the retailer module 38, and themicrocontroller 74 responds with an inhibit to the customer module 48.The processor 74 then proceeds to command the appropriate ticketdispenser to dispense the selected ticket; and upon receiving anacknowledgment to the dispense command, the processor 74 removes theinhibit from the customer module 48. Simultaneously, the microprocessor74 recomputes the current credit value and posts the new credit value inthe NOVRAM 80 as well as the retailer display 44. The processor 96 inthe customer module 48 also computes an up-to-date credit value anddisplays the new credit value in the display 54. That process continuesuntil the customer has selected a number of tickets that brings thecredit value to zero. The retail clerk then collects the dispensedtickets from the dispensers 58 and provides the tickets to the customer.

The retailer access module 38 may also be used in association with theprinter 70 to provide a wide variety of reports. The NOVRAM 80 withinthe module 38 maintains a complete history of ticket sales in terms ofwhen they were sold, which game tickets were sold, the value of the gametickets, the clerk on duty, etc. Further, many reports of the history ofsales can be provided, for example, sales by the shift by the day, or bythe week, etc.

The item dispensing system 29 of the above described invention providesa distributed, modular and scalable item dispensing system that has manyfeatures making it especially suitable for point-of-sale counters.First, the present invention provides a game ticket purchase anddispensing system that is very automatic, very secure and has a highlevel of reporting. Thus, with the system automatically calculating thecredit remaining, there should be no math mistakes. Further, theautomatic dispensing should eliminate mistakes in accidentallydispensing too many tickets. With the tickets locked in theirdispensers, ticket theft is minimized if not eliminated.

By making the retailer and customer modules 38, 48 and the dispensers 58self contained, stand-alone units, the units can be located at the POScounter 20 at any convenient location. For example, the customer unit 48may be placed on the top surface 26 of the counter 20, or the unit 48may be placed on another support at the counter, for example, a shelfon, or next to, the counter 20. Further, the customer unit 48 may bepicked up and viewed at close range as required by customers.

Similarly, the retailer module 38 may be placed on the surface 26 of thecounter 20, or it may be placed on another support at the counter 20 oradjacent the POS terminal, for example, a shelf on or next to thecounter 20 or cash register. In addition, the modularity of the retailermodule 38 permits it to be connected directly to a retailer POS terminal33 FIG. 2) or its functions to be integrated within the retailer POSterminal.

The stand-alone modular construction further permits a high degree ofscalability. That is, a different number of dispensers can be easilyadded and removed from the system 29 to accommodate different numbers ofitems to be sold and dispensed. The only practical limitation is themaximum number of dispensers established by the system design which is amatter of design choice. In addition, the dispensers 58 may be readilylocated at any convenient location. While it is generally consideredmost convenient to have the dispensers 58 at the counter 20, they do nothave to be in the proximity of the counter 20. Further, each of thedispensers 58 may be placed in different locations at the convenience ofthe user.

The item dispensing system 29 of the present invention has a significantadvantage in that by placing the system at the POS counter, the items tobe sold are exposed to substantially more potential customers than ispossible with existing systems. Thus, it is expected that significantlygreater sales will be made.

While the invention has been illustrated by the description of oneembodiment and while the embodiment has been described in considerabledetail, there is no intention to restrict nor in any way limit the scopeof the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages andmodifications will readily appear to those who are skilled in the art.For example, the serial POS printer 70 is described as having passthrough ports and connected to the cables 66. However, if the POSprinter 70 does not have pass through ports, it may be connected to theretailer module 38 using an RS-232 serial link. In addition, the "I²C-BUS" communications protocol is used to transfer data over the cables66; however, again, other communications protocols, for example,"CANBUS", "ESCHLON" or proprietary protocols may be used.

Further, the ticket dispensing system as described above is notinterconnected with the retail POS terminal, and all communicationsbetween the ticket dispensing system and the retail system, for example,the amount of the purchase, must be entered by a retail person in boththe retailer module 38 and the retailer POS cash register 33. As will beappreciated, referring to FIG. 2, the retailer access module 38 may beconnected by RS-232 lines 31, 32 to the retailer POS cash register orterminal 33 and a retailer modem 34. Similarly, the retailer accessmodule 38 may be connected by an RS-485 line 35 to a retailer multidropnetwork terminal 36. With the retailer module 38 in communication withthe cash register 33, the amount of the purchase only has to be enteredonce. In addition, with that and the other communications connectionsmentioned above, the inventory and sales data stored in the NOVRAM 80can be integrated into the retailer's reporting system. Further, as willbe appreciated, the whole function of the retailer access module 38 maybe integrated into the retailer POS terminal 33; and in that embodiment,the retail module 38 will not exist as a separate unit.

The system disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 provide a passive display panel 30and a separate customer unit 48 having a number of keys corresponding tothe games presented in the display unit 30. As will be appreciated, thedisplays in the panel 30 can be individually made active, so that theyrespond to actions by the customer in selecting a game. In thatembodiment, the display panel has the same capabilities as the numerickeys 50. In addition, and in a similar manner, the function keys 52 mayalso be integrated into the display panel 30. As will be appreciated,the components of the item dispensing system 29 may installed in anexisting counter, or alternatively, the components may be installed in acounter module that is a complete dispensing system and installed as acomplete POS counter unit. In a further embodiment, the passive display30 need not be used, and instead, the items are displayed and selectedusing only the keys 50 of the customer module 48.

Therefore, the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to thespecific details shown and described. Consequently, departures may bemade from the details described herein without departing from the spiritand scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. An item dispensing system for use with apoint-of-sale counter comprising:a customer unit placed at thepoint-of-sale counter, the customer unit providing an input deviceadapted to permit a customer to select an item for purchase; a retailerunit in electrical communication with the customer unit and placed atthe point-of-sale counter, the retailer unit having an input deviceadapted to permit a retailer to process an item selection made by thecustomer; and an item dispenser in electrical communication with thecustomer unit and the retail unit and dispensing the item in response tothe retailer unit processing the item selection made by the customerusing the input device on the customer unit.
 2. An item dispensingsystem for use at a point-of-sale terminal comprising:a stand-alone itemdispenser for dispensing items at the point-of-sale terminal; astand-alone first unit in electrical communication with the itemdispenser and placed at the point-of-sale terminal, the first unithaving an input device adapted for use by a customer and permitting thecustomer to select an item for purchase; and a stand-alone second unitplaced at the point-of-sale counter and in electrical communication withthe first unit and the item dispenser, the second unit having an inputdevice adapted to permit a retailer to process an item selection made bythe customer to cause the item dispenser to dispense the item inresponse to the retailer unit processing the item selection made by thecustomer using the input device on the first unit.
 3. An item dispensingsystem for use with a point-of-sale counter comprising:a stand-aloneitem dispenser for dispensing an item; a stand-alone customer unit inelectrical communication with the item dispenser and placed at a firstlocation at the point-of-sale counter, the customer unit having an inputdevice adapted to permit a customer to select an item; and a stand-aloneretailer unit in electrical communication with the customer unit and theitem dispenser and placed at a second location at the point-of-salecounter different from the first location, the retailer unit having aninput device adapted to permit a retailer to process an item selectionmade by the customer, the customer and retailer units functioningtogether to cause the item dispenser to dispense the item selected bythe customer.
 4. The item dispensing system of claim 3 wherein the itemdispenser is placed at a third location with respect to thepoint-of-sale counter.
 5. The item dispensing system of claim 3 whereinthe retailer unit is in electrical communication with a retailer POSterminal.
 6. The item dispensing system of claim 3 wherein the retailerunit is integrated within a retailer POS terminal.
 7. The itemdispensing system of claim 3 further including printer.
 8. The itemdispensing system of claim 3 wherein each item dispenser dispensesdifferent items.
 9. The item dispensing system of claim 3 furtherincludes a plurality of item dispensers.
 10. The item dispensing systemof claim 3 wherein the retailer unit further includes a plurality oflevels of security, each level of security representing a differentlevel of functionality of the retailer unit.
 11. The item dispensingsystem of claim 3 further including a passive display mounted withrespect to the point-of-sale counter providing an image of the item. 12.The item dispensing system of claim 11 wherein the passive display ismounted to a top surface of the point-of-sale counter.
 13. The itemdispensing system of claim 3 further including a power supplyelectrically connected to the item dispenser, the customer unit and theretailer unit.
 14. The item dispensing system of claim 13 furtherincluding a cable interconnecting the item dispenser, the customer unitand the retailer unit.
 15. The item dispensing system of claim 3 whereinthe customer unit has a plurality of input devices, each of theplurality of input devices representing a single item.
 16. The itemdispensing system of claim 15 wherein the customer unit has a pluralityof output devices, each one of the plurality output devices beingassociated with one of the plurality of input devices and indicating theavailability of an item represented by an input device.
 17. The itemdispensing system of claim 16 wherein the customer unit has a displayunit.
 18. The item dispensing system of claim 17 wherein the retailerunit has an input device and a display.